2016: Page 166

It was a busy day for page 166 of this year’s journey. I thought I would get some more writing done on my current book project, but that didn’t happen. I started the day taking care of some record-keeping and correspondence related to the missions ministry. While working on that, I got involved in some floor cleaning/scrubbing in preparation for refinishing. When the floor scrubbing was complete, I finished up the missions work I was doing and then began putting down floor finish in the rooms we had prepped. Four coats of finish later, with some drying time in between, I was quickly approaching a 12 hour workday so it was time to close up my work for the day and head home.

As I swung a mop back and forth putting down floor finish over a 4+ hour time span, I thought about how life parallels these floors we’re working on. Time has a way of dulling our finish as the wear and tear of life grinds down the shiny polish we once displayed. Occasionally an event happens that causes immediate damage to the surface of our life and our ability to reflect Christ is diminished. Most of the time though, it is just a little wear here and a little dirt there and our lack of shine gradually disappears without us even noticing. The good news is that God is an expert at refinishing and restoring the beauty we once possessed in our relationship with Him. When we allow Christ to cleanse us, the filth of our sins are washed completely away and the dirt that has clung to us is completely removed. The time we spend in prayer and God’s Word applies layers of finish that build a shine in our life that allows us to grow in our ability to reflect Christ accurately.

But it is important to remember that this is not a “once and done” process. Just as the floors we are working on need refinished on a regular basis, our spiritual life needs a regular refreshing as we go through life. We are bombarded on a daily basis by words and images that dull who we are in Christ. Our minds are influenced constantly by thoughts that do not honor Christ. When God says His mercies are new every morning, it would be a good idea for us to make use of those new mercies and apply them to our lives daily to restore the shine of Jesus in our life.

I also thought about the incredible beauty of simplicity. I’ve had two occasions in the past week where a hummingbird has briefly hovered outside my office window. There is nothing there for them, so they don’t stay around long enough for me to get a camera out, let alone make any serious attempt to photograph them. As beautiful, and busy, as they are, I am still just as fascinated by a single flower blossom and the beauty they display. Today’s photo to go with page 166 is one I took a couple weeks ago on the first day of our Florida vacation. While I greatly enjoyed the big scenes of sunrises, sunsets, and gulf coast beauty, a single flower blossom would often draw me to a stop to take a close-up photograph.

I pray that you and I would evaluate the condition of our “finish” and take the necessary steps to restore the “shine” of Jesus in our lives. I pray that we would guard our minds from the pollution that is so prevalent in our world. I pray that we would daily apply the cleansing power of the blood of Christ to the filth and sin that so easily entangles us. I pray that we would continually add the layers of shine to our life through our time in prayer and God’s Word. I pray that we would take the time to notice, and praise God for, the beauty of the simple things God surrounds us with.

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All posts on this blog are my thoughts and opinions at the time of writing and do not necessarily reflect the views of any other individual or organization. I have been known to change my mind on occasion, so the writings here may not even reflect my views all the time.
Thanks for learning with me. - Tom